Fernando Alonso has rejected suggestions that Ferrari is now the team to beat to the 2006 chequer.
The Spaniard, who maintains a 19-point lead over the red team’s Michael Schumacher, finished a distant fifth at Indianapolis, leading to interpretations that Renault is no longer the dominant force in F1.
”No,” the 24-year-old insisted to ‘Kicker’ magazine.
”Ferrari and Bridgestone were quicker than us at Indy, but out of the ten races so far we had the best tyres nine times.
”So I’m not really worried.”
Alonso is worried, however, to the point that he says he and Renault will not be satisfied to cruise to the October finale collecting merely podiums — even though the policy would probably still deliver his second drivers’ title.
”We must try to win every time,” he insisted, adding that he wasn’t sure why Indianapolis was such an off-form event for him.
Renault will unfurl a new engine specification for Alonso at Magny Cours, before new bodywork debuts later, at Hockenheim.
He also reiterated the assertion that he has ‘no regrets’ about switching to off-form McLaren for the 2007 season.
Alonso explained: ”No. you make a decision, you stick with it.
”No regrets, no looking back, no second thoughts.”
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